


Telling the news

by Naminewitch



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Cloud doesn't think he's SOLDIER like in canon, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-25 23:24:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19755877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naminewitch/pseuds/Naminewitch
Summary: In which, Cloud Strife, who doesn’t think he’s SOLDIER First Class, informs Aerith about Zack’s death.





	Telling the news

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while since I wrote something for FF7. This fic was inspired by Remake's teaser trailer. When I watched it, I thought: What if Cloud (whose memory wasn't messed up) told Aerith about Zack's death? And this oneshot was born. 
> 
> Hope you will like it. Enjoy.

After Zack disappeared into the Lifestream, Cloud, still weak from Mako poisoning and coma, took Buster sword with him – his now dead best friend entrusted it to him, after all, thus making blond his living legacy – and went to Midgar. That’s what Zack wanted to do before he was killed, and besides: who would look for ex-ShinRa infantryman this close to HQ?

No one. 

* * *

After arriving in the city and recovering from Mako poisoning, Cloud layed low, taking various odd jobs – a mercenary, jack of all trades, what Zack planned them to be when he expected them to reach Midgar, Cloud couldn’t help but note – to make a living and pay for an apartment he was renting. 

Cloud was returning from one such job, gills (payment for the job) in his pocket when somebody called him.

“Excuse me!” a female voice called Cloud who stopped, turning around to see who it was.

It was a girl slightly older than him with brown hair that was done in a braid that was held by a pink ribbon, and green eyes. She was dressed in a dress of same color as ribbon, red jacket and brown boots. On her elbow was a basket full of various flowers. She was a flower girl.

“Yes?” The blonde asked politely when she stood in front of him.

“Sorry to bother you, but are you a SOLDIER?” she asked.

“No,” Cloud said. Once, that seemed like a different lifetime ago, he wanted to be one. But that dream turned to ashes just like Nibelheim, thanks to Sephiroth and ShinRa.

Girl’s face fell. “Oh. Sorry. You’re just dressed like one and have my boyfriend’s sword, and I thought maybe you knew where Zack was.”

Hearing his best friend’s name from the girl, Cloud froze as realization hit him. The girl in front of him was Aerith – Zack’s main reason for reaching Midgar (Even though he was in coma, Cloud heard bits and pieces of Zack’s one-sided conversations with him, and since most repeated topic was Aerith, blonde memorized it) – who was still waiting for Zack and didn’t know he passed away, and now the burden of telling her the news fell to Cloud.

“Even though I wasn’t in SOLDIER, I knew Zack,” Cloud told the flower girl. “I’m Cloud Strife. Can we talk somewhere else?”

“I’m Aerith Gainsborough, “the girl told the blonde, proving to him he got her identity right.”Follow me.”

Cloud nodded and went after Aerith. 

* * *

Aerith led him to abandoned church that was in Fifth Sector. They entered and stopped near the flower bed of lilies, standing face to face.

“You said you knew Zack,” Aerith began the hard conversation. “Do you know what happened to him? He went missing four, almost five years ago, and I don’t know what became of him.”

“He’s…” Cloud swallowed lump in his throat.”…dead.”

Aerith gasped, hand flying to her mouth as her eyes widened in shock and she processed the news. She couldn’t believe them, and yet, it explained why she felt – thanks to her being the last Cetra – that someone returned to the Planet. It was Zack.

“How it happened?” Aerith asked, voice hoarse as grief began to overtake her, and she tried not to cry.

Cloud told her about Nibelheim, what happened there, about four years on the run from ShinRa (What he could remember of it anyway), about Zack’s last stand and death.

“At least he died as a hero like he wanted,” Aerith said with a weak smile before breaking into tears.

Not knowing how to comfort her, Cloud hugged Aerith, and as she cried into his chest, they grieved the loss of a hero.


End file.
